Headlines

Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Reds Rumors

Reds Notes: Castillo, Moose, Solano

By | at

Luis Castillo is drawing loads of attention as the trade deadline nears, and according to Bobby Nightengale of The Cincinnati Enquirer, the Reds’ focus seems to be on getting young talent for Castillo rather than using him as an avenue to cut payroll.  The idea of having a rival team take on Mike Moustakas’ contract as part of a Castillo deal hasn’t come up in recent negotiations, Nightengale writes, though the Reds were open to such a concept in other talks last year.  However, as Cincinnati has moved some salaries off the books in subsequent deals, payroll cuts no longer seem to be as big a priority.

Castillo isn’t the only trade chip on the roster, as the Reds put “a high asking price” on infielder Donovan Solano in recent talks with an unknown club.  Solano has hit an impressive .313/.371/.450 in 89 plate appearances this season, trying to make up for lost time after a hamstring injury delayed his 2022 debut until June 22.  Cincinnati inked Solano to a one-year, $4.5MM deal in March, so he would be a pure rental for any club looking to add a versatile infielder and veteran right-handed bat to the mix.

Tyler Stephenson Fractures Clavicle

By | at

July 23: The Reds have officially placed Stephenson on the 10-day injured list with a broken right clavicle. They have recalled catcher Mark Kolozsvary to claim his roster spot, per Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer (via Twitter). Kolozsvary, 26, has appeared in seen games this season for the Reds, going 1-for-11 at the plate.

July 22: Reds catcher Tyler Stephenson broke his clavicle during today’s contest against the Cardinals, the team informed reporters (including Mark Sheldon of MLB.com). There is no timetable for his return.

Stephenson suffered the injury when he took a Paul Goldschmidt foul tip off his right shoulder area. Later in the at-bat, Goldschmidt hit a tapper in front of home plate. Stephenson fielded the ball but went down in pain as he reared back to throw the ball to first base. He was then replaced by Michael Papierski.

It’s an all too familiar occurrence for Stephenson, who has been knocked out of a game on three separate occasions this year. He suffered a concussion in a home plate collision with Luke Voit in April. That cost him a couple weeks of action. A month later, he was hit by a foul tip on his throwing hand and fractured his thumb. He lost a month to that injury, returning a bit before the All-Star Break. He’s now in for another extended absence, and it remains to be seen if the remainder of his 2022 season could be in jeopardy.

The injuries have interrupted what has looked like a breakout season for the former first-round pick. Stephenson had an impressive 2021 campaign, hitting .286/.366/.431 across 402 plate appearances. Cincinnati dealt Tucker Barnhart to the Tigers to clear the path to everyday playing time behind the dish, and Stephenson has responded with a .319/.372/.482 showing through 183 trips to the plate. He’s looked like one of the sport’s top backstops when healthy, but a trio of fluky injury issues look as if they’ll cost him a good chunk of time.

Reds Plan To Activate Tyler Mahle For Sunday Start

By | at

The Reds are set to welcome right-hander Tyler Mahle back from the injured list this weekend, as they announced to reporters Wednesday that he’s in line to start Sunday’s game against the visiting Cardinals (Twitter link via Charlie Goldsmith of the Cincinnati Enquirer). The team also reinstated right-hander Dauri Moreta from the Covid-related injured list and returned righty Ryan Hendrix to Triple-A Louisville.

Mahle, one of the most notable trade candidates on the summer market, hit the injured list with what was deemed a minor shoulder strain earlier this month. The 27-year-old righty said shortly thereafter that he planned to return quickly after the All-Star break, and that will indeed be the case. A Sunday return will give Mahle enough time to make two starts before the Aug. 2 trade deadline, so scouts from opposing clubs will have multiple opportunities to evaluate him on the heels of his recent shoulder issue.

Prior to landing on the injured list, Mahle was trending upward in terms of his performance. The former seventh-rounder got out to a brutal start this season but turned a corner in late May and stringing together a 2.58 ERA over a stretch of seven outings. Dating back to May 1, Mahle has a 3.86 ERA with strikeout and walk rates that fall in line with the standards he set when establishing himself as at least a quality mid-rotation hurler from 2020-21.

While Mahle doesn’t draw as much fanfare as rotation-mate Luis Castillo, he’s quietly built a nice track record at the big league level. Even including a pair of his worst-ever starts earlier this season (combined 15 runs allowed in 7 2/3 frames), Mahle has a 3.94 ERA in 320 innings dating back to the 2020 season. He’s punched out 27.5% of his opponents against an 8.9% walk rate along the way, sitting at 94 mph with his heater and brandishing a splitter and slider that have both graded out as above-average pitches at times. Lately, he’s gravitated more toward the low-spinning splitter — particularly against lefties.

It’s hard not to wonder how Mahle might fare with another club, as his hitter-friendly home park has been a thorn in his side even as he’s found success over the past three seasons. Mahle has a bloated 4.90 ERA and has yielded 1.71 homers per nine innings pitched at Great American Ball Park dating back to 2020. During that same three-year stretch, he’s notched an excellent 2.93 ERA on the road, while yielding an average of just 0.52 homers per nine innings.

Like Castillo, Mahle is controlled not only for the 2022 campaign but also through the 2023 season via arbitration. He’s being paid $5.2MM for the current season and will earn a raise on top of that figure for the 2023 season before hitting the free-agent market in advance of his age-29 campaign.

Reds Activate Mike Moustakas From COVID-IL

By | at

The Reds made a pair of transactions on the first day of the All-Star break, including activating infielder Mike Moustakas from the COVID-related injured list.  Infielder Max Schrock was optioned to Triple-A yesterday, so there was already an open spot on Cincinnati’s active roster.

Moustakas was only placed on the COVID-IL on Thursday, so the veteran will make a relatively quick return in time to start the second half.  This marks the third time Moustakas has been on the COVID-related IL this season, with his other two stints lasting a week and just a single day, respectively.  A right biceps strain also sent Moustakas to the regular injured list for just a minimum 10-day stretch in April.

While none of these absences are as serious as the heel problems that limited Moustakas to only 62 games last season, the Moose’s 2022 campaign has unfortunately looked a lot like his 2021 campaign — missed time, and a lack of pop at the plate.  After Moustakas hit only .208/.282/.372 over 206 plate appearances last season, he has a similar .210/.298/.337 slash line in his first 235 PA this year.  There isn’t much to like about Moustakas’ advanced metrics either, as his .287 xwOBA is among the worst in the league.

With the Reds looking to cut payroll, a healthy and productive Moustakas (owed roughly $25.3MM through the end of the 2023 season) might have made an interesting trade chip.  Moustakas was still an above-average hitter as recently as 2020, and he was even an All-Star in 2019 as a member of the Brewers.  However, his ongoing struggles makes it very unlikely that another team would take on his contract outside of a pure salary-dump scenario, or another swap involving an undesirable contract.  Theoretically, a team could offer to take on Moustakas as a sweetener in trade talks for Luis Castillo, though the Reds would probably prefer to get the maximum prospect return for Castillo rather than dilute the package just to cut salary.

Reds Place Dauri Moreta On Injured List, Select Ryan Hendrix

By | at

The Reds placed right-hander Dauri Moreta on the injured list, and selected the contract of right-hander Ryan Hendrix from Triple-A.  No official designation was given for Moreta’s placement, so it would seem to be related to COVID-19.

Cincinnati is swapping one second-year righty for another, as both Moreta and Hendrix made their big league debuts in 2021.  Moreta tossed 3 2/3 innings in the majors last year and then 26 2/3 frames this season, with a 7.09 ERA to show for his 2022 work.  The long ball is the chief reason for Moreta’s struggles, as he has allowed nine home runs over his 26 2/3 innings.

Hendrix’s career resume is essentially the opposite of Moreta’s, with 31 2/3 innings in his rookie season and then only 3 1/3 innings in 2022.  Unfortunately for Hendrix, he has also had trouble keeping the ball in the park, with eight homers allowed over his short time as a Major League hurler.  He got a brief look with the Reds back in April before being designated for assignment and then outrighted to Triple-A.

Astros Among Teams With Interest In Luis Castillo

By | at

Luis Castillo is among the league’s highest-profile trade candidates. The hard-throwing righty is having another excellent season, and with a year and a half of remaining club control, he’s a good bet to move from the 34-55 Reds to a contender in the next couple weeks.

Virtually every win-now team figures to inquire on Castillo, who’d upgrade any rotation. The Dodgers, Yankees, Blue Jays, Cardinals, Mariners, and Twins have all been linked to tied to the Cincinnati starter in recent weeks. Erik Boland of Newsday (Twitter link) and Sweeny Murti of WFAN (on Twitter) both report the Astros are also in the mix. Jon Heyman of the New York Post adds that teams like the Mets and Padres, who’d been linked to Castillo early in the process, are likelier to prioritize adding offensive help than an impact starter.

That said, even teams with enviable rotation depth figure to at least kick the tires on Castillo over the coming weeks. Houston’s interest is indicative of that, as they have arguably the best starting pitching outlook in the game. Astros starters rank second in the majors in ERA (3.15) and innings pitched (505), while they’re ninth in strikeout percentage (23.6%). That’s in spite of zero contributions from Lance McCullers Jr., perhaps the team’s top pitcher in 2021, as he’s rehabbed from a forearm issue.

Few teams would be able to comfortably withstand an injury to a pitcher of McCullers’ caliber, but Houston’s rotation has thrived nevertheless. All six of the Astros starters to eclipse 30 innings this season have an ERA of 4.08 or lower. Justin Verlander and Framber Valdez own sub-3.00 marks. Cristian Javier and Luis Garcia are in the mid-3.00s with strong strikeout totals, while Jake Odorizzi (3.38) and José Urquidy (4.08) have solid results despite lacking huge whiff totals.

With McCullers also expected to return at some point after the All-Star Break, the Astros certainly don’t need to add another starter. Castillo’s performance, though, is impressive enough they’ll join virtually every other contender in checking in with Reds’ general manager Nick Krall and his staff. Despite pitching in a hitter-friendly home ballpark, Castillo has a 3.49 ERA with an above-average 26.8% strikeout rate and an elite 55.2% grounder percentage over the past three and a half seasons. That includes a personal-best 2.77 ERA through 13 starts this year. Castillo’s swinging strike and ground-ball numbers are down a touch, but he’s still been better than league average in both regards.

Castillo has been especially excellent of late, pitching at peak form as the August 2 deadline draws nearer. He’s allowed one or fewer runs in each of his past four outings, striking out 33 against nine walks over his last 27 innings. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic examined Castillo’s strong recent run this morning, noting that the right-hander worked with the Cincinnati coaching staff to tweak the grip on his four-seam fastball this year.

In addition to his excellent results, the 29-year-old would be an eminently affordable pickup for acquiring teams. He’s playing this season on a $7.35MM salary, approximately $2.9MM of which will remain to be paid out after the deadline. He should be in line for a decent arbitration raise next winter, but even a 2023 salary in the $12-15MM range would be a strong bargain for a pitcher of his caliber.

Cincinnati is widely expected to field offers on both Castillo and rotation mate Tyler Mahle, who is also in his penultimate year of club control. Andy Martino of SNY reports that talks on at least the former have yet to get underway in much detail, suggesting those discussions figure to accelerate after the upcoming amateur draft. The Reds are sure to set a lofty asking price once discussions begin in earnest. Heyman wrote earlier this week that Cincinnati was looking for one of the Yankees’ top shortstop prospects, Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza, to get Castillo talks underway. Heyman suggested last night that New York remains firmly against parting with either player, even after losing Luis Severino to the injured list due to a lat strain.

Dodgers, Giants Among Teams With Interest In Brandon Drury

By | at

Reds infielder Brandon Drury is among the more obvious candidates to be traded in the coming weeks, as he’s having an excellent year and is an impending free agent on one of the worst teams in baseball. He was placed in the 13th slot on MLBTR’s recent list of top trade candidates. Andy Martino of SNY took a look at some trade candidates that make sense for the Mets, listing Drury among them, but noting that the Dodgers and Giants are “showing more interest” in Drury right now.

The Dodgers have long had a tendency to covet versatile players and Drury certainly fits that mold. With Cincy this year, Drury has moved around the infield to fill in as needed, depending on the injury status of his teammates. He’s played 51 games at third, 20 games at second, five at first and a couple at short. He hasn’t played the outfield this year but has manned the corners in previous seasons. The advanced metrics differ as to the quality of his glovework overall, but he’s generally viewed as a passable defender wherever he plays on the infield. Along the way, he’s hit 18 home runs and slashed .276/.334/.536 for a wRC+ of 136.

The Dodgers recently placed their incumbent super utility man Chris Taylor on the injured list with a fractured foot. Though he’s going to be out until after the All-Star break, it seems possible he returns before the August 2 trade deadline. The larger issue might be that some of their veteran infielders aren’t living up to their potential this season. Gavin Lux is having a great year but is playing a lot of left field lately to cover for Taylor’s absence. Justin Turner was ice cold to start the year but has gone on a tear of late to get himself back above league average for the year. Max Muncy, on the other hand, hasn’t gotten into a groove yet this season, currently sitting on a batting line of .161/.313/.309, wRC+ of 86. He seemingly hasn’t been himself since injuring his UCL late last year, spending some time on IL due to that issue this season. Hanser Alberto is on the bench and hits right-handed, making him a theoretical option to platoon with Muncy or just give him time off in general. However, he’s hitting just .222/.232/.346, producing a wRC+ of just 61, making Drury a sensible upgrade there.

As for the Giants, they’ve also been fans of the versatility model, hardly surprising given the fact that president of baseball operations Farhan Zaidi came over from the Dodgers. Evan Longoria and Tommy La Stella are currently on the IL but neither is expected to be out for an extended period of time. Longoria is having a nice season but has played in just 44 games due to injuries, with La Stella similarly playing just 35. The oft-injured Brandon Belt has played just 48 games and has been DHing often due to knee issues, manager Gabe Kapler tells reporters, including Susan Slusser of the San Francisco Chronicle. That’s left Wilmer Flores playing a lot of second base and rookie David Villar covering the hot corner, while LaMonte Wade Jr. has come in from the outfield to play some first base, along with Darin Ruf as well. Thairo Estrada is in the mix but has also been playing some shortstop to give Brandon Crawford some days off. There’s a lot of moving parts there, which will likely keep moving, based on how the Giants operate and based on the health of the players. But with Crawford, Longoria, Belt, La Stella and Ruf all over 33 years old, it makes sense to keep rotating them in and out as much as possible to prevent wear and tear. Drury’s ability to play all over could make him a sensible add, with his role changing over the coming months as these situations change.

Given Drury’s ability to move around the diamond, there’s very few teams that couldn’t fit him in somewhere. His 136 wRC+ is 27th in the majors among qualified hitters, making him better than at least a few regulars in most lineups and certainly better than each team’s bench options. The Dodgers are the best team in the National League with a record of 56-30, making them clear deadline buyers. In a recent conversation with Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman downplayed the possibility of another headline-grabbing deal like last year’s acquisition of Max Scherzer and Trea Turner. But it stands to reason they will at least look for complementary pieces like Drury. As for the Giants, they’ve fallen on hard times recently and are currently outside of the postseason picture. Their 44-42 record has them two games back of the Cardinals for the final National League Wild Card spot.

Luis Castillo Drawing Widespread Interest; Reds Not Close To Any Deal

By | at

July 12: The Reds aren’t close to any trades as of this morning, tweets Jim Bowden of The Athletic, who adds that “most” contending clubs have checked in on Cincinnati. That includes both the Cardinals and the Mariners, who have not been prominently linked to Castillo until this point (but who both make logical sense as a potential landing spot).

July 11: The Dodgers and Reds have had preliminary talks about Cincinnati starter Luis Castillo, reports Jon Morosi of MLB.com (Twitter link). Los Angeles joins a growing list of contenders known to be in contact with the Reds front office.

Castillo is one of the sport’s most obvious trade candidates, placing fourth on MLBTR’s Top 50 list last week. The right-hander is arbitration-eligible through 2023, but Cincinnati has no hope of competing this season. With the opportunity to market two possible postseason pushes to contenders, Castillo’s value around the league will never be higher than it is this summer. Teams like the Twins, Padres, Mets, Yankees, and Blue Jays have all been reported to have inquired in recent weeks. That’s presumably not an exhaustive list, as virtually every contender is likely to check in with Cincinnati general manager Nick Krall and his staff.

The 29-year-old Castillo carries a personal-best 2.92 ERA through his first 12 starts of the season. He’s been in peak form of late, tossing 20 innings of three-run ball with 25 strikeouts and five walks over his past three outings. Of course, Castillo has a multi-year track record as one of the sport’s better pitchers. He’s allowed fewer than four earned runs per nine innings in five of his six big league campaigns. One of the game’s hardest throwers, he typically blends a rare combination of swing-and-miss and ground-ball upside. This season’s respective 25.3% strikeout rate and 49.7% grounder percentage are both down a bit from his best levels, but each remains decidedly above-average.

Castillo missed the first month of this season with shoulder soreness. That set him off on a less than ideal start, but he’s rounded into form over the past few weeks. Although his fastball velocity was down a tick in May, he’s built arm strength as the season has worn on. According to Statcast, Castillo has averaged 97.7 MPH on his four-seam and 97.1 MPH on his sinker through his two starts this month. That’s in line with or better than last year’s respective 97.1 MPH and 97.3 MPH season averages, seemingly putting away any concerns clubs might’ve had stemming from his early-season injury.

Alongside teammate Tyler Mahle and A’s hurler Frankie Montas, Castillo is one of three high-octane controllable starters widely expected to be available at the deadline. Mahle is on the 15-day injured list with a shoulder strain, while Montas is dealing with some shoulder inflammation. Mahle has indicated he expects to be reinstated well in advance of the August 2 deadline, though, and the A’s remain hopeful that Montas can avoid the IL entirely and start this week (link via Matt Kawahara of the San Francisco Chronicle). Even if all three pitchers are healthy, one could argue for Castillo to land the strongest return based on his track record and recent dominance.

The Reds are understandably setting their sights high in discussions. Jon Heyman of the New York reports that Cincinnati has sought one of Anthony Volpe or Oswald Peraza as a headliner in talks with the Yankees. Each player is a top shortstop prospect, with Volpe topping the Yankees’ farm rankings and placing among the 15 best farmhands leaguewide at each of Baseball America, FanGraphs, ESPN and the Athletic heading into the 2022 season. Peraza is generally regarded as the second or third-best player in the New York system; he landed second in the organization and 79th overall on BA’s recent Top 100 update.

It’s hard to envision New York parting with Volpe in any trade, but a player of Peraza’s caliber is a reasonable starting point for the Cincinnati front office. The Blue Jays sent the Twins two prospects generally regarded as top 100 talents (Austin Martin and Simeon Woods-Richardson) for a year and a half of José Berríos’ services last summer. Martin was a somewhat divisive player but just a season removed from being drafted fifth and ranked by most outlets as a top 50 overall talent at the time of the deal.

Peraza isn’t having a great season offensively in Triple-A (.242/.313/.411 through 275 plate appearances), but he’s young for the level, having just turned 22. He’s viewed as a strong defensive player, and the Yankees’ belief in he and Volpe was cited frequently as a reason for the club declining to aggressively pursue the big-ticket free agent shortstops available last winter.

Whether or not the Yankees are willing to entertain the possibility of putting Peraza in a Castillo trade, the lofty reported ask reflects the Reds’ leverage in dangling an arm of his caliber. They’ll certainly look towards the upper ranks of the farm systems of other clubs inquiring over the next few weeks. In all likelihood, talks with myriad teams will continue until the days immediately preceding the deadline and perhaps into August 2 itself.

Blue Jays Interested In Luis Castillo

By | at

The Reds right-hander is one of the very best players (let alone pitchers) expected to be available as the deadline approaches, making him a natural fit for a Toronto club in sore need of pitching upgrades.  Between Hyun Jin Ryu’s Tommy John surgery and underwhelming performances from Jose Berrios and Yusei Kikuchi, the faulty rotation has been the chief reason for the Jays’ struggles in the last month, which is why Nightengale writes that the Blue Jays “are expected to be the most aggressive team pursuing starting pitching help.”  Last summer’s trade for Berrios is an example of how the Toronto front office hasn’t been hesitant to pay a big price for a player they want and need, though the Blue Jays will face plenty of competition for Castillo’s services.

Reds Outright Robert Dugger

By and | at

10:17PM: Dugger accepted the assignment to Triple-A, Bobby Nightengale reports (Twitter link).

TODAY, 3:21PM: Dugger cleared waivers and has been outrighted to the Reds’ Triple-A affiliate, according to C. Trent Rosecrans of The Athletic (Twitter link).  It isn’t yet known if Dugger will accept the assignment or opt for free agency.

JULY 8: The Reds have designated reliever Robert Dugger for assignment, tweets Bobby Nightengale of the Cincinnati Enquirer. The move clears an active roster spot for closer Alexis Diaz, who has been activated from the 15-day injured list.

This DFA is the latest step in what has become a fairly predictable pattern for the right-hander. This is the fourth time he has been designated for assignment in just over two months, each time after a fairly short stay in the big leagues. He started the year by signing a minor league deal with the Rays. He had his contract selected on May 1 and threw 5 1/3 innings of mop-up duty. After his first DFA of the year, he was claimed off waivers by the Reds. They, too, gave him a mop-up assignment, with Dugger getting to pitch for another three innings before his second DFA. He cleared waivers, was outrighted and then re-selected to the big league team, but got his third DFA without making an appearance. Selected yet again yesterday, Dugger tossed another 3 2/3 innings before this fourth DFA.

In total, he’s now thrown 12 MLB innings thus far this season, faring well in that small sample. He has a 4.50 ERA, 32.7% strikeout rate, 5.8% walk rate and 37.5% ground ball rate. Despite those decent results, Dugger hasn’t been granted anything beyond a very brief stay on a big league roster. Since he is out of options, the only way to replace him with a fresh arm is to send him back out into DFA limbo each time. His numbers in the minors this year aren’t quite as impressive, as he has a 5.06 ERA with a 17.6% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate through 48 Triple-A frames.

The Reds will have a week to trade him, pass him through outright waivers or release him. He will have the right to reject an outright assignment due to the fact that he has previously been outrighted in his career. But based on precedent, it’s possible that he clears waivers and accepts another outright assignment like he’s already done a couple of times this year.

Show all

MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

hide arrows scroll to top